Texas Jumping Spider (Phidippus texanus)

Texas Jumping Spider (Phidippus texanus)
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Setup

This species is arid, it is crucial to have lots of ventilation to prevent stagnant air & humidity. There should be top & side ventilation, if you notice mold your humidity is too high or there is not enough ventilation. Dry coconut fiber or a soil mix makes a great substrate for this species.

Jumping spiders are very active while there is no maximum enclosure size ensure they can properly find food. Provide moderate cover, ensure they have spots at the top of their enclosure to build nests.

Acrylic enclosures, glass tanks, along with deli cups are commonly used for housing jumping spiders. It is recommended to avoid using top opening enclosures as you can disturb your nesting or molting spider. Front, bottom or mid opening enclosures are best.

Recommended Enclosure Sizes:

i2-i4: 32oz Cohabitated
i4-i6: 5.5oz
i6-i8: 16oz
i8-i11: 32oz

Decor:
Fake or live plants may be provided, jumping spiders enjoy exploring their environment so lots of ledges, hides, and decor is recommended for mental stimulation. Pieces of cork, grape vine, or spider wood make great additions to any enclosure as they provide plenty of climbing and nest opportunities. 3D Printed decor such as ledges or hides are also great additions.

Temperature & Humidity:
70°-85°
30%-50%

Mist when in premolt to boost humidity and for better chances of success. Along with that lightly mist near them once a week for proper hydration.

Cleaning:
While jumping spiders are not messy some level of cleaning is needed. Using a wet Q-Tip you can wipe poop or other debris off surfaces, remove any leftover food bits by hand or using tongs. The substate may need to be cleared out occasionally, to ovoid this step a cleanup crew such as isopods or springtail can be added. Be warry as jumping spiders may see isopods as prey and overeat.

Bioactive Enclosures:
Bioactive enclosures are self-sustaining setups, voiding the need for cleaning. These types of setups are meant to replicate a natural environmental system. They use live plants and detritivores (like isopods & springtails) to reach this goal.

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Feeding

Provide food when their abdomen is thin, most slings need to eat every 2-3 days, I recommend offering 4-5 fruit flies per feeding, provide less if they look bloated or more if their abdomen appears flats. One medium sized feeder should be suitable a week for adults.



Recommended Foods:
i1-i4: D. Melanogaster Fruit Flies, D. Hydei Fruit Flies
i5-i6: D. Hydei, Mini mealworms, Small roaches, House flies, 1/8-1/4in Crickets
i6-Adult: House Flies, Bottle flies, Roaches, Mealworms, Crickets, Waxworms

Size feeders appropriately to your spider, do not offer prey larger than double their size.

DO NOT FEED WILD CUAGHT PREY, they can transmit parasites & diseases to your spider, all feeders should be captive bred.

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Molting & Sexing

Jumping spiders will molt 8-11 times, males and females are sexually dimorphic. Males will have long stocky arms, bulbous pedipalps, and a solid black body with a reddish-orangish capped abdomen. They may also have additional markings on their abdomen such as black lines or black dust like marks.

Females are a tan-orangish base color with markings on their abdomen. Their markings usually include a white/tan line down the middle of their abdomen with a black/gray outline, sometimes followed by a black marble/mosaic pattern which usually overlays a tan, white, or red. Their cheliccera (Fangs) appear green or blue in coloration. Mature females will have an epigyne (a small shiny black dot) in between their abdomen and thorax, this is their reproductive organ.
                                                                                         
                    Female Epigyne:

Signs of molting:
Refusing to eat
Plump abdomen
Making and hiding in a thickly webbed nest

After your spider molts, they need time to harden their exoskeleton, do not handle or feed them for 24-48 hours.

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Growth & Instars

Eggs: Whitish to a yellowish color and symmetrical in shape.

Eggs with legs: Have begun to develop slight features, like body segments and legs.

i1: Have molted once, now have a completely black with a more defined body shape.

i2: Molted twice inside the nest and now have more noticeable features, such as a large head and smaller body. To the naked eye they appear completely black at this stage but actually have already are a slight cream color. At the instar they have begun to leave the nest.

i3: Have molted three times, twice time inside the nest and one time outside. Have gained their abdomen markings and body coloration.

Pictures

i2:

i3:


Adult Female:



Buy your own jumping spider here!

Breeding Guide